COVID Travel Scenario

If there’s one thing that has universally ruined holidays, visits, business travel, jobs and forced us to behave differently, it is the COVID. But this article will not be about the misery everyone is going through. Let me talk about something more positive on the post COVID travel scenario on Thailand.

Bad times do not last forever. Wars, natural disasters, pandemics, do have an end. They will leave behind a lot of misery and huge losses. The quarantines, travel restrictions, lockdowns will end too. They will help us understand what it is like to walk and breathe free again.They will also help us realize how to care for our earth better.

Almost everyone I know is waiting to go on visit, be it family, friends, business or a holiday.

So how would the post COVID travel scenario be?

My crystal ball gazing says:

Travellers will want to visit countries that have the best of natural beauty, culture, history, food, health, hygiene and all of this at a cost that is affordable. Thailand is one country that ticks off all these boxes.

Chances are, travellers will be more responsible and will care more about sustainability, preserving natural resources, traditional practices and eco-friendliness while wanting fun and outdoor activities. Many of us are tired of sitting indoors and starting at the laptop/TV screen.
In Thailand, river and sea cruises, beach holidays, mountains, culturally important sites, different and new places like tea gardens, national parks will all be on the holiday map for most of us.

Even corporates will try to combine their trainings and managerial retreats with some sustainable tourism activities.
Travel agencies will promote companies that focus on health, awareness and promotion of local traditions , preserving climate and offering something different. The future will belong to ethical travel companies who help their customers travel responsibly.

It would certainly make sense if a holiday not only re-energizes you, it re-energizes our earth too. In Thailand, towns like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket have specialized, eco friendly, high quality lodges. The discerning tourist would elect to do something different, even if he goes to a known destination. Choosing green activities, green community, green attractions, even green logistics, is the way forward.

Our thinking is changing. It needs to.